The Columbus Education Association has been a leader in school reform at the local, state and national level for many years. Performance pay may be a buzz word now, but it is nothing new to the members of CEA.

Over the past decade, CEA has negotiated multiple performance pay programs. In 1997, CEA negotiated the Gainsharing program and, later, the Performance Advancement System (PAS). Nearly $2 million was awarded to teachers for improved student achievement for the 2007-2008 school year.

Gainsharing is a method of distributing funds for improved education and student achievement in Columbus City Schools. Teachers assigned to buildings for at least 120 days are eligible to receive a bonus if the school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Teachers who do not work full time in a building may participate in Gainsharing though service agreements.

PAS is a program for all members of the CEA bargaining unit to engage in classroom action research. If teachers’ projects post mean student achievement gains greater than the district, CEA members will receive cash awards of $2,500 for meeting the PAS gain criteria.

In recent years, the district adopted the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) in eight schools. TAP is a comprehensive school reform system that restructures and revitalizes the teaching profession with a goal of achieving measurable gains in student performance. Teachers received bonuses ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars for knowledge and skills and student growth in the 2007-2008 school year. The master and mentor teachers also received a stipend for extra duties and responsibilities.

Our 114 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) receive a $1,500 annual stipend from CCS, above and beyond the state stipend. At the Superintendent’s sole discretion, teachers who agree to work in high-needs schools can receive an additional stipend.

Any system that involves alternative pay should meet the “APPLE criteria” developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Systems must be administratively feasible, professionally acceptable, publicly credible, legally defensible and economically affordable.

“This is a time for innovation and opportunity in the field of education,” stated CEA President Rhonda Johnson. “I am proud to be a member of an organization that has always been on the cutting edge of school reform.”